Mindful Mornings: A 10-Minute Routine to Start Your Day with Intention

How You Start Your Day Sets the Tone for Everything That Follows

Most of us wake up and immediately reach for our phones, scroll through notifications, and rush into the day's demands. But what if you gave yourself just 10 minutes to set a different tone?

A mindful morning routine doesn't require waking up at 5 AM or meditating for an hour. It's about creating a small pocket of intentional time that grounds you before the chaos begins.

The 10-Minute Mindful Morning Routine

Minute 1-2: Wake Up Without Your Phone

Before you check messages, emails, or social media, give yourself a moment to just be. Stretch in bed, take three deep breaths, and notice how your body feels. This simple act keeps you in control of your attention instead of handing it over to external demands immediately.

Minute 3-4: Hydrate Mindfully

Pour yourself a glass of water and drink it slowly. Use a beautiful vessel that makes this simple act feel special. Notice the temperature, the sensation of hydration, the way your body wakes up as you drink.

Minute 5-7: Light a Candle and Set an Intention

Light your LAVA™ SPINNING HEART candle and watch the flame for a moment. As you do, ask yourself: How do I want to feel today? What matters most today? Set one simple intention—not a to-do list, but a feeling or quality you want to embody.

Examples:

• "Today, I choose presence over productivity."
• "I will move through today with patience and ease."
• "I'm open to joy in unexpected moments."

Minute 8-9: Move Your Body

You don't need a full workout—just gentle movement to wake up your system. Stretch, do a few yoga poses, shake out tension, or simply stand and reach your arms overhead. Movement signals to your body that it's time to engage with the day.

Minute 10: Express Gratitude

Before you dive into your day, name three things you're grateful for. They can be big (your health, your loved ones) or small (the warmth of your coffee, the sunlight through your window). Gratitude shifts your brain into a positive state and primes you to notice more good throughout the day.

Why This Works

This routine works because it gives you agency. Instead of being reactive from the moment you wake up, you're choosing how to begin. You're telling your nervous system: we're safe, we have time, we can be intentional.

Over time, this 10-minute practice compounds. You'll notice you feel more grounded, less reactive, and more connected to what actually matters.

Make It Your Own

This is a template, not a rule. Maybe you need 5 minutes of journaling instead of movement. Maybe you want to sip tea while watching the sunrise. The key is consistency and intention—not perfection.

Start tomorrow. Set your alarm 10 minutes earlier, keep your phone out of reach, and give yourself this gift. Notice what shifts.

Your Morning, Your Choice

You can't control everything that happens during your day, but you can control how you begin it. A mindful morning routine is one of the most powerful tools you have for creating a life that feels intentional instead of reactive.

What will your first 10 minutes look like tomorrow?